Former Proteas all-rounder Brian MacMillan suggests batsman Temba Bavuma is being groomed to be Test, ODI and T20I captain.

Bavuma has played 36 Tests in five years and recently welcomed a T20I debut during the ongoing tour of India. He has also played two ODIs.

The 29-year-old captained the Lions to the 4-Day Franchise Series title earlier this year and will be skipper Faf du Plessis’ vice-captain during next month’s Test series in India.

‘Bavuma is a good cricketer with a solid technique and has leadership ability. He is clearly being earmarked as a future Proteas captain,’ MacMillan wrote in a column for My Two Cents.

‘Will he be able to handle being a captain in all formats? Do the Proteas need to select a captain and then add the team around him or do they select a team and pick the captain from within the team?

‘Time will tell on those points and Bavuma is still only finding his feet in the short format and needs to be given a chance to learn and grow.’

The diminutive right-hander struck 49 and 27 not out in last week’s second and third T20I in Mohali and Bengaluru, respectively, after the relatively early loss of opener Reeza Hendricks on both occasions.

‘In T20 cricket, Bavuma must open or bat at No 3 as he is not a renowned big hitter. That said, if he geared up a little in terms of his strike rate, he could be a useful player in any format given confidence and growth to perform at that level.’

MacMillan played 38 Tests and 78 ODIs between 1991 and 1998.

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